Fixed internal guides for cooling water in rotary strip-casting drum



United States Patent inventor David K. Griffiths Penn Hills Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Appl. No. 751,213 Filed Aug. 8, 1968 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Assignee United States Steel Corporation a corporation of Delaware FIXED INTERNAL GUIDES FOR COOLING WATER 1N ROTARY STRIP-CASTING DRUM 4/l933 Harris .1 164/277 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-R Spencer Annear Attorney-Walter P. Wood ABSTRACT: A rotary strip-casting drum is journaled on coaxially disposed stationary tubular inlet and outlet shafts. A nozzle on the inlet shaft extends into the drum and mounts a series of circumferentially spaced cooling. water guides. Each guide has a flaring stem or shank and a head the outer extremity of which is of arcuate shape to conform to the interior of the drum. Plates spaced from the sides of the guides define inlet and outlet passages. The sides of the heads are curved to guide entering water along the drum interior and scoop up a portion of the water in the drum for discharge.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,506

Sheet 1 of3 H 0 I IN '2 x s w i B 1' a 1% l i" 0 I 9 L 2 L INVEN ran. DAVID 1r. GRIFF/ ms y Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,506

Sheet 2 01'3 INVEN TOR.

DA V/D K. GRIFFITHS A f forney Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,506

Sheet 3 otS All rney FIXED INTERNAL GUIDES FOR COOLING WATER IN ROTARY STRIP-CASTING DRUM This invention relates to a rotary drum caster for continuously drawing metal strip from a bath of molten metal and, in particular, to novel interior guides for directing cooling water around the drum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The general principle of drawing a continuous metal strip from a bath of molten metal by freezing on a cooled drum partly immersed in the bath is shown in German Pat. No. 71 1,133. The difficulty with this method, however, as in other forms of continuously casting molten metal, is the abstraction of heat in sufficient quantity from the initially frozen metal, to permit operation at the speed necessary to afford a commercially desirable production rate.

It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide means effecting circulation of cooling water about the interior of the drum partly immersed in molten metal, so as to increase greatly the absorption of heat by the water through the wall of the drum and enhance the overall rate of heat removal.

BRIEF SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION According to the general principle of the invention, 1 mount the drum on one end of a tubular inlet shaft fixedly secured in a stationary support, bymeans of a sleeve journaled on the shaft to permit rotation of the drum. A stationary tubular outlet shaft coaxial with the inlet shaft has fixedly mounted thereon, interiorly of the drum, a series of cooling water guides. The drum is also journaled for rotation on the outlet shaft. A nozzle on the end of the inlet shaft directs jets of cooling water radially of the drum and the resulting streams are directed by the guides along the inner periphery of the drum and then returned by outlet passages to the inner end of the outlet shaft.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing diagrammatically a continuous strip caster of the rotary drum type;

FIG. 2 is a section through the drum and shafts taken along the plane of line 11-11 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a section through the drum and guides normal to its axis, taken along the plane of line III-Ill of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings, and for the present, to FIG. I particularly, a car traveling on track 11 carries a ladle 13. The ladle rests on a support 14 adjustable vertically by a screw jack 15. Guide pins 16 extend downwardly from support 14 through sleeves 17 mounted vertically on the car 10.

A drum frame 18 rests on a floor or deck 19 spaced above track 11. A drum 20 is mounted by means subsequently to be described, for rotation about axis 21. A gear motor 22 on the frame drives drum 20 through a chain-and-sprocket drive 23 and holddown roll 24 journaled in an upward extension 25 of frame 18, rests on drum 20 and roller conveyor 26 carries strip from drum 20 to a takeup reel 27.

The apparatus described above is conventional. My invention relates to the construction and mounting of drum 20 and the water guides mounted interiorly thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a tubular shaft 28 is fixedly mounted in one of two spaced coaxial dead-eyed bearings 29 secured, respectively, below a pair of beams 30 bridging frame 18. Cooling water is supplied under pressure to the outer end of shaft 28 by a connection (not shown) to a suitable source.

A sleeve or quill 31 is journaled on the inner end of shaft 28, by a bushing 32 fitted therein and has a sprocket 23a on its outer end. A disc 33 is fixed on the inner end of quill 31 and has a protective refractory sheathing ring 34 secured to the outer face thereof by bolts 35. A tapered nozzle 36 extends inwardly from shaft 28 and has longitudinal slots 37 spaced circumferentially thereof. A ring 40 of channel section is partially supported on disc 33 by bolts 41.

A tubular outlet shaft 42 is fixedly mounted, coaxially with shaft 28 in the other dead-eyed bearing 29 and the outer end of the shaft has a conduit connected thereto for disposing of cooling water. The inner end of shaft 42 has an extension sleeve 42a fixedly thereon, on which is journaled a hub 44 by a bearing sleeve 45. A disc 46, generally similar to disc 33, is fixed on the inner end of hub 44. Disc 46 supports a refractory ring 34 by bolts 35 and ring 40 by bolts 41, in the same way that disc 33 supports corresponding parts at the other side of the drum. The inner end of sleeve 42a extends across the width of ring 40 and has longitudinal slots 47 spaced circumferentially thereof.

Ring 40 is the drum on the surface of which liquid metal solidifies when ladle 13 is raised sufficiently to bring the surface of the molten metal therein above the bottom point on the drum. For quickly absorbing large quantities of heat through the periphery thereof, I provide radial guides 48 and radial plates 49 and 50 thereadjacent defining therewith inlet passages 51 communicating with slots 37 and outlet passages 52 communicating with slots 47. It will be evident that this construction causes water delivered under pressure to nozzle 36 to flow outwardly through passages 51. The outer ends of plates 49 and 50 are connected by arcuate plates 53.

Radial guides 48 and plates 49, 50 and 53 extend between spaced side plates or discs 54 and 55, thereby forming a structure similar to the impeller of a pump. Plate 54 is mounted on a ring 56 carried by sleeve 42a. Plate 55 is secured by a ring 57 fixed in the end of sleeve 42a and seated in the recessed inner end of shaft 28.

Guides 48 comprise wedge-shaped inner base or stem portions 48a and outer diverging head portions 48b secured through and by screws 58. Each head portion 48b has a curvilinear surface 59 which guides entering water peripherally along the interior of drum and a similar surface 60 which diverts a portion of the water circulating around the drum to outlet passage 52. Since drum 40 rotates relative to the guides 48 during casting, all portions of the drum interior are subjected to wiping by a high-speed brush stream of water constantly being withdrawn and replaced.

Studs 61 disposed radially in the periphery of head portions 48b of guides 48 cause tubulence in the water flowing circumferentially inside drum 40 thereby increasing the effectiveness of the cooling.

It will be evident that my invention provides means for highly efficient cooling of a rotary casting drum, thus increasing the permissible operating speed and the tonnage output.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a hollow rotatable casting drum, of an apparatus for conducting cooling liquid to the interior of said drum, said apparatus comprising inlet and outlet pipes disposed axially of said drum, said drum being journaled on said pipes, a nozzle on the end of said inlet pipe extending into said drum and having circumferentially spaced openings within said drum, a plurality of arms extending radially from said nozzle, arcuate heads on said arms having surfaces conforming closely to the interior circumferential surface of said drum, and walls spaced from each of said arms defining therewith radial inlet and outlet passages which communicate respectively with the openings in said nozzle and with said out let pipe.

inner end of said outlet pipe having circumferentially spaced openings through which said arms extend, said walls bearing on said outlet pipe.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, characterized by a sleeve telescoped on the inner end of said inlet pipe and drive means on said sleeve. 

